IIW History 1948-1958

14 -

policy justifying ·and necessitating a broadly-based international organisation to spread throughout the \\·orld the new techniques through which "·elding opens up wider po sibilities for the applied sciences. That such an expansion \YOuld lead to a natural, but also fruitful , rivalry bet\Yeen the different welding proce es was clearly foreseen by the founders, as were the difficulties which might re ult from it. For this reason it was stated in article 3 of the Constitution that « the Institute shall not engage in commercial or trade activities and in particular hall not concern itself with prices, wage rates, markets or agencies». Indeed, the action of the Institute cannot be other than disinterested. In the course of its work difficult problems may a rise, in particular " ·hen new proce es appear, because the Institute's duty is simulta– neously to promote progress and to prevent competitive advantages being aained from its support. As will later appear, the Institute has laid dovm its policy clearly ancl firmly in this connexion. Article 3 also st a t es that the « Institute shall assist in the formu lation of international standards for "IWlding in collaboration with the International Standards Organization » : this it has been able to do effectively as a result of its close participation in the work of I O/TC 44. Finally, it is laid dom1 that it shall « organise periodical congresses » : as regards this last point, the traditional pattern of congress was adopted, but \Yith variations designed to promote team work a t an international level. The most prominent and characteristic feature of the Institute is, in fact, the permanent work of the Commissions which meet regularly at, and also between, the annual assemblies. For each group of problems, they have brought together the appropriate experts from the most authoritati,-e circles : from tmivPrsities, from resea rch centres and in pection authorities, from the t echnical departments of important administrations and public services, from technical and profe sional education and, especially, from industry properly speaking - producers of metals, manufacturers, makers of welding supplies and users of welded products ; the enior technical staff from the design office , the work– shops and the laboratories of each of these branches play their part. Because it brought together ex.pert in all these subjects the II\V had access to a field of observation and of studies which \\'a to become, as it were, universal and it could put the experimental method into practice \Yherever "·ork within its terms of reference was beincr done. · Further on in thi book, details " ·ill be found of the technical structure which, in course of time, gre"· from these first foundations; of the outstanding contribution made by the cientific and Technical ecretariat which was soon aftenvards esta– blished in Paris; and of the most valuable support which resulted from the organisation of public sessions for the presentation of papers on special subjects . Readers will also be able to appreciate the outstanding quality of the contri– butions made by a large number of individuals who have supported the Institute and to \\·horn it is indebted for man) results already achieved. When, from a greater distance in time, the true scope of these results can be seen , it may be confidently predicted that they will constitute an encyclopaedia of welding and allied subj ects, the principles of which will thus be permanently defined, \Yhatever changes the constant process of evolution may bring; it would not be an exao-geration to see the II\~ 's \\'Ork as con isting of univer al and con– tinuous scientific investigation. , to " ·hich all the ressources of pure and applied science are constantly called upon to contribute. :\.t the plenary session of the II\ " ·hich was held in Paris, Professor P oRTEvr:; emphasised in striking terms the many-sidedness of welding, in which the majority of the scientific discipline· play a part, often an unaccustomed one: